Former NY Governor and Stepson Attacked: Young Boys Arrested
Something scary happened in New York City last Friday night. David Paterson, who used to be the governor of New York, and his stepson Anthony Sliwa got hurt in a fight. They were walking their dog when trouble started.
It all began when Sliwa saw some kids climbing a fire escape. He worried they might break into the building, so he told them to stop. The kids left, but they came back later with more people. That’s when things got terrible.
Paterson, who can’t see very well, got hit in the face and shoulder. Sliwa ended up on the ground and got hurt pretty badly. He needed stitches in his lip and had lots of bruises. It must have been terrifying for them!
The police came to help. They looked for the people who did this and found two young boys. One was 12 years old, and the other was 13. It’s hard to believe kids so young could do something like this. The police arrested them and said they did “gang assault.” That’s a big word that means they attacked Paterson and Sliwa.
Paterson talked about what happened the next day. He said his stepson was very brave. “When they were insulting him and starting to fight him, he didn’t back down,” Paterson told everyone. He was proud of Sliwa for being so strong.
The fight wasn’t just about kids, though. Paterson said some grown-ups got involved too. A woman started throwing punches first, and then another adult joined in. Strangely, adults would join a fight with kids against an older man and his stepson.
After the fight, Paterson and Sliwa had to go to the hospital. The doctors fixed them up, and they got to go home the following day. But they were still pretty shaken up by what happened.
Paterson’s team said they hope the young people who did this learn something from it. They’re glad the kids’ parents are making them take responsibility for their actions. They also thanked the police for doing a good job.
This whole thing makes us think about safety in New York City. If someone who used to be in charge of the entire state can get hurt like this, what about regular people? It’s a bit scary to think about.
But Paterson still loves New York. He’s lived there almost his whole life and has seen all kinds of neighborhoods. He thinks this fight wasn’t about stealing or doing other nasty things. People were trying to win an argument that got way out of hand.
This story teaches us some important things:
- We should always be careful and watch out for trouble outside.
- It’s okay to speak up if we see something wrong, but we must be careful not to make things worse.
- Walking away from a fight is sometimes better, even if we think we’re right.
- We should look out for our neighbors and keep our community safe.
Even though this was a bad thing, maybe some good can come from it. Perhaps the kids who do this will learn to make better choices. And maybe it will remind all of us to be kinder to each other and help make our city safer for everyone.